This study employed an experimental design to test the effects of exposure to televised portrayals of differing types of negative consequences of casual sex on emerging adults' sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Male and female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three viewing conditions. Participants either viewed a program that portrayed negative emotional/social consequences of casual sex (i.e., guilt, regret, embarrassment, disapproval of family and friends), a negative physical consequence of casual sex (i.e., an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy), or a program without any sexual content. Outcomes were assessed immediately after exposure. Five outcome variables were examined: negative outcome expectancies of risky sex, attitudes toward casual sex, attitudes toward condoms, behavioral intentions to avoid casual sex, and behavioral intentions to use condoms. Driven by social cognitive theory, hypotheses address expected differences among the three conditions on these five outcome variables.Hypotheses about the expected effects of portrayals of negative consequences of casual sex were not confirmed. Results indicate that exposure to negative consequences of casual sex on television does not uniformly influence emerging adults' sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Rather, the relationship between exposure and subsequent effects was found to be moderated by their sexual risk experience. Emerging adults with different amounts of sexual risk experience responded differently to the experimental stimuli. Participants who had extensive sexual risk experience were not influenced by the stimuli. However, effects of exposure to the negative consequence conditions were identified among participants who had little to moderate amounts of sexual risk experience. Both the negative physical and emotional/social consequence conditions led these participants to report safer sex outcomes. Findings imply that portrayals of both negative emotional/social and negative physical consequences of casual sex on television have the potential to positively influence the sexual attitudes and behavioral intentions of young people who do not already have substantial sexual risk experience.

This study employed an experimental design to test the effects of exposure to televised portrayals of differing types of negative consequences of casual sex on emerging adults' sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Male and female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three viewing conditions. Participants either viewed a program that portrayed negative emotional/social consequences of casual sex (i.e., guilt, regret, embarrassment, disapproval of family and friends), a negative physical consequence of casual sex (i.e., an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy), or a program without any sexual content. Outcomes were assessed immediately after exposure. Five outcome variables were examined: negative outcome expectancies of risky sex, attitudes toward casual sex, attitudes toward condoms, behavioral intentions to avoid casual sex, and behavioral intentions to use condoms. Driven by social cognitive theory, hypotheses address expected differences among the three conditions on these five outcome variables.Hypotheses about the expected effects of portrayals of negative consequences of casual sex were not confirmed. Results indicate that exposure to negative consequences of casual sex on television does not uniformly influence emerging adults' sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Rather, the relationship between exposure and subsequent effects was found to be moderated by their sexual risk experience. Emerging adults with different amounts of sexual risk experience responded differently to the experimental stimuli. Participants who had extensive sexual risk experience were not influenced by the stimuli. However, effects of exposure to the negative consequence conditions were identified among participants who had little to moderate amounts of sexual risk experience. Both the negative physical and emotional/social consequence conditions led these participants to report safer sex outcomes. Findings imply that portrayals of both negative emotional/social and negative physical consequences of casual sex on television have the potential to positively influence the sexual attitudes and behavioral intentions of young people who do not already have substantial sexual risk experience.

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dc.type

text

en_US

dc.type

Electronic Dissertation

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dc.subject

Television

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dc.subject

Emerging Adults

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dc.subject

Sexual Content

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dc.subject

Social Cognitive Theory

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dc.subject

Consequences

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dc.subject

Media Effects

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thesis.degree.name

PhD

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thesis.degree.level

doctoral

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thesis.degree.discipline

Communication

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thesis.degree.discipline

Graduate College

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thesis.degree.grantor

University of Arizona

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dc.contributor.advisor

Kunkel, Dale

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dc.contributor.chair

Kunkel, Dale

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dc.contributor.committeemember

Segrin, Chris

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dc.contributor.committeemember

Eyal, Keren

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dc.identifier.proquest

2362

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dc.identifier.oclc

659748246

en_US

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